1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a gaming machine executing a slot game, and more specifically to a gaming machine allowing selection of a stopping order of reels for sustaining a player's anticipation, and a control method thereof.
2. Related Art
In a gaming machine executing a slot game, only a part of the plurality of symbol groups is displayed on a display unit. Upon acceptance of credits inserted, execution of the game is started and the plurality of symbol groups displayed in the display unit is variably displayed. In a case where mechanical reels are used, the reels rotate and a group of symbols on the peripheral surface of each reel is variably displayed.
After a predetermined period of time, the variable display on the display unit or the rotation of the reels is stopped, and it is determined whether the static symbols form a winning combination or not. In this case, the symbol groups are statically displayed in a predetermined order, as disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,712,799. Generally, for example, the leftmost symbol group is first statically displayed.
In this case, if a symbol not included in any winning combination is displayed first, the player may be disappointed to know that he missed an award, and may not be interested in other symbols. Then, the player may be bored and uncomfortable until all the symbol groups are statically displayed.
Since a lot of games are usually executed repeatedly in a slot game, such a disappointment may gradually discourage and deter the players.
Accordingly, an objective of the present invention is to provide a gaming machine that can control an order in which symbols are statically displayed in symbol display regions in response to a predetermined condition, and a control method thereof.